1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vaginal douches and, more particularly, to a vaginal douche applicator for neutralizing vaginal odors due to contact of vaginal tissue with the applicator in the presence of water introduced through the applicator, to a vaginal douche applicator having a protuberance for deterring the entry of douching fluid into the cervical canal and to a method of vaginal deodorization using a vaginal douche applicator.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In the area of female personal hygiene and gynecological health, vaginal douches have been proposed for reducing and/or eliminating vaginal odors. Conventional vaginal douches typically involve the application of a stream of douching fluid to the vaginal canal of the user. Since water alone as a douching fluid is not effective in significantly alleviating vaginal odors or the sources, such as bacteria, of vaginal odors, conventional vaginal douches typically include various douching agents or substances such as cleansing and/or disinfecting agents and/or perfumes. Accordingly, various commercially prepared douching agents or substances have been proposed for being mixed with water to obtain a douching fluid. One problem associated with conventional vaginal douches is that the douching agents or substances may cause irritation in some users and tend to alter the normal acid/alkaline or chemical balance of the vaginal canal. When the vaginal canal of a woman becomes irritated and/or has the normal acid/alkaline or chemical balance thereof disturbed or altered, the woman may be at increased risk for vaginitis, such as yeast, trich and other infections. Vinegar has been used as a douching agent or substance which, when mixed with water in the proper proportions, presents a douching fluid that closely mimics the normal pH of the vaginal canal. However, vinegar and water douches tend not to be effective against vaginal odors for any meaningful length of time. Furthermore, vaginal douches are typically applied with vaginal douche applicators for introduction in the vaginal canal of the user and through which the douching fluid is forcefully introduced into the vaginal canal. Conventional vaginal douche applicators have the disadvantage of allowing the douching fluid introduced therethrough into the vaginal canal to enter the cervical canal and even the uterine cavity of the user. Since the douching fluid entering the uterine cavity and/or the cervical canal may contain bacteria and/or other infectious organisms picked up in the vaginal canal, conventional vaginal douche applicators are associated with an increased risk of cervical, uterine and/or pelvic infections, such as cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease. In addition, conventional vaginal douches may not be effective in alleviating some vaginal odors or may serve merely to temporarily mask the vaginal odors. Even when conventional vaginal douches are effective in alleviating vaginal odors, the vaginal odors may return shortly after douching. Accordingly, although conventional vaginal douches and vaginal douche applicators are generally convenient and easy to use, the benefits derived from conventional vaginal douches may be outweighed by the problems and disadvantages associated therewith in that conventional vaginal douches and vaginal douche applicators may actually do more harm than good.
The use of stainless steel under running water to remove odors from the hands has also been proposed, as represented by the NOnion.RTM. of 5K Enterprises, Allison Park, Pa. the Odor Steeler.TM. of iSi North America. Such devices include a body made of stainless steel which, when rubbed on the hands under running water, causes odors such as onion, garlic, poultry, fish, seafood and nicotine to be removed from the hands without soap or harsh scrubbing. The devices, which have configurations similar to bars of soap, do not have any passages therein through which fluid may be supplied.
In view of the above, it can be seen that the need exists for alternative vaginal douches and vaginal douche applicators which are convenient and easy to use but which overcome the various problems and disadvantages of conventional vaginal douches and vaginal douche applicators. It can be seen that the need further exists for vaginal douches that are effective in neutralizing vaginal odors without employing added douching agents or substances and while allowing only water to be used as the douching fluid. Another need made apparent from the above is for a vaginal douche applicator that has a configuration to deter the passage of douching fluid into the uterine cavity and/or the cervical canal of a user.
Until the present invention, the foregoing needs have not been met or satisfied. In particular, the use of stainless steel in the presence of water to neutralize vaginal odors has not been previously recognized or contemplated. Accordingly, it has not previously been recognized to introduce water into the vaginal canal through a douche applicator having a stainless steel surface and to neutralize vaginal odors by contact of the stainless steel surface with the anatomical tissue of the vaginal canal in the presence of the water. It has also not been possible until the present invention to effectively alleviate vaginal odors via douching, with only water as the douching fluid without any added douching agents or substances. Prior to the present invention, a vaginal douche applicator having a configuration to deter the passage of douching fluid into the uterus and/or the cervical canal has also not been proposed.